Dog attacks are uncommon in Quincy, officials say

State Police are investigating Wednesday's fatal attack by a pit bull on a smaller dog at Wollaston Beach. Cases of aggressive dogs attacking people or other animals are “few and far between” in Quincy, said Don Conboy, the city's animal control officer.

QUINCY – Two days after a pit bull attacked and killed an elderly man’s dog by the sea wall at Wollaston Beach, city officials said attacks by aggressive dogs on people or other animals are rare in Quincy.

Such cases are “few and far between, thank goodness,” said Don Conboy, Quincy’s animal control officer, who is holding the pit bull at the city animal shelter.

Quincy police Capt. John Dougan said he could recall just one case in the last decade in which police ordered a dog owner to muzzle the dog when it was off the owner’s property.

State Police are investigating Wednesday’s incident, in which a pit bull belonging to a Quincy man broke free from its owner and sank its teeth into the throat of a sheltie that belonged to 83-year-old Robert Laverty of Ludlow.

“I tried to save him. I loved that little dog. You don’t know how much,” Laverty told WBZ-TV, saying the attack by the pit bull came out of the blue.

“All of a sudden that dog charged, and the cord was too long,” he told the television station, his voice choked with emotion. “I got down on my knees and I hit the dog several times. And I tried to get my fingers in to open the jaw. But he had him right by the neck. It didn’t last two minutes. Barley was gone.”

Beach-goers watched the killing in horror. State Police arrived at the sea wall at about 6:15 p.m. and later reported that the pit bull’s owner, a 44-year-old Quincy resident, told them he couldn’t control his dog because he was on inline skates.

The 8-year-old pit bull, which is not licensed, is being held and observed at the Quincy Animal Shelter. Its owner will face a hearing conducted by Quincy police and could be ordered to muzzle or euthanize his dog.

“He’s a strong, friendly dog with people, but we aren’t letting him near the other dogs,” Conboy said Friday afternoon.

Conboy doesn’t believe pit bulls are any more aggressive than other breeds.

“It’s just circumstances. It could be any kind of dog (that attacks,)” he said. “We hear more about pit bulls than we do about others. They can be very loyal and are very smart dogs. People think they are all bad.”

The state Department of Conservation and Recreation, which owns and manages Wollaston Beach, has no special regulations that restrict pit bulls or aggressive dogs, said William Hickey, a spokesman for the agency.

For decades, pit bulls have been viewed as the most dangerous dog breed in the country – the chosen breed of street gangs and dog-fighting rings, with a reputation for unprovoked, vicious and sometimes fatal attacks.

Page 2 of 2 - The American Bar Association and the National Animal Control Association oppose breed-specific laws, arguing that they are discriminatory against a type of dog that isn’t really a single breed.

Three main breeds – Staffordshire bull terrier, American pit bull terrier and American Staffordshire terrier – along with mixes of those breeds, are generally considered pit bulls. But other muscular, large-jawed, boxer-type dogs often are mislabeled as pit bulls, making breed-specific bans hard to enforce.

Seventeen states now have laws that prohibit communities from imposing breed-specific bans. Lawmakers in six more states are considering similar measures, and some cities are reviewing local policies that classify pit bulls as dangerous animals.

Material from The Associated Press was used in this report. Chris Burrell may be reached at cburrell@ledger.com. Follow him on Twitter @Burrell_Ledger.